Shoe plate



Aug. 25,1936. B B 'WEST 2,052,330

7 I SHOE PLATE Filed Sept. 17, 1954 INVENTOR.

4w, M @M ATTORNEYJ Patented Aug. 25, 19436 znsznn ime r jreies SHOE PLATE' Brennan B. West, Cleveland; one Appiication September 17, 1934, Serial No. 744,375

' This invention relates to that class ofdevices known as shoe plates that are used for protecting those parts of the soles and heels of boots and shoes that are subjected to the hardest wear.

The invention has to do more particularly with the variety of shoe plates made of sheet metal and whose prongsare turned down from the edge of the plate (in contradistinction to being struck from the body of the plate) to the ends that the full area ofthe plate is available for wear, the maximum strength of the plate structure is assured, and the prongs hold the edge of the plate firmly to the surface of the sole or heel so as to lessen the liability of the plate being kicked loose or jerked off.

The present invention adds certain important advantages to plates of the above described charactcr, as will appear from the following description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing,

In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view, of one form of my improved shoe plate; Fig. 3 shows the plate of the former views in central section, resting upon a shoe heel and having applied to it a tool that is used in driving the plate; Fig. 4 shows the same plate on an enlarged scale and in section as the plate appears when driven into the heel; Fig. 5 shows another form of the invention in side elevation; Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the plate shown in Fig. 5, illustrating the same as applied to a sole or heel, and Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show the bottoms of footwear with the plates applied thereto.

The invention, in the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, is designated generally by the reference character A. Here, the body 5 of the plate is circular in plan, and integral prongs 2 project from its edge. Obviously the blank from which the plate is formed consists of a flat disk having radiating prongs, there being four equally spaced about the circumference of the disk according to the embodiment at present under consideration. In the forming of the plate the body l is preferably corrugated and the prongs are turned down and chamfered on their outer sides at their extremities, as shown at 3. The corrugation may consist of an annular ridge adjacent the edge of the plate, and the peripheral portion of the body 5 is turned downwardly so that the surface of the edge 4 is at an angle (for example, of approximately 45 to the plane of the base, i. e. the part that contacts with the sole or heel when the plate is applied) so that a relatively sharp V- shaped flange surrounds the underneath side of j 1 Claim; (01. 36.44.)

said peripheral portion. The prongs depend from theedge of the plate in parallel relation to i one another. 1

A tool designated Tis'desirably used in applying the plate, and it has a socketed end 15 designed 5 to receive the plate so thatjthe flaring edge portion of said endengagesthe downwardly turned peripheral portion of the pla'te substantially in line with the prongsQ In applying the plate to a boot or s'hoe, the latter-'is'plac'ed upon a last with 10 the portion to which the plate is to be attached firmly supported thereby and the plate is then placed in position on the sole or heel and the tool applied to the plate. Now, by imposing hammer blows upon the tool, the prongs 2 may be driven into the'material of the sole or heel, the final blows embedding the previously mentioned V- shaped flange into said material. The outer surface of the peripheral portion of the plate is thus caused to merge with the surrounding surface of the sole or heel, avoiding all possibility of the edge of the plate catching upon an object and causing the plate to be jerked loose. As the prongs enter the material of the sole or heel during the driving operation, their chamfered ends 5 cause them to curve inwardly, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the sheet metal of which the plate is formed being sufficiently pliable, and the cross section of the prongs sufliciently small to effect this result when the prongs are driven into sole or heel material of usual immobility.

This self-clenching of the prongs insures a very secure hold of the plate upon the sole or heel without penetrating even a relatively light sole and without requiring the prongs being undesirably long. Furthermore, the curvation of the prongs obviates compression of the sole or heel material between diametrically opposed prongs, which would be the case if the prongs remained straight and simply deflected inwardly as they entered, and this contributes to the easy driving of the prongs. Inasmuch as the prongs converge, the plate may be placed exceedingly close to the edge of a sole or heel without danger of the prongs bulging, or breaking through such edge, as is common with plates whose prongs remain straight when driven. In a plate of this character having as few prongs as three or four, the edge of the plate, between adjacent prongs, may be disposed substantially flush with the edge of the sole or heel.

The plate illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 and designated generally by the reference character B differs from the one above described in that the body I0 is dished, or crowned so to speak, and

the peripheral portion of the body is desirably turned down so as to dispose the edge at the desired angle to the base of the plate, as in the case above described. The prongs 20 are increased to six in number in this form of the invention and, as in the former case, the ends of the prongs are chamfered on their outer sides, as indicated at 30.

The plate of my invention is adapted for use on all parts of soles and heels subjected to intense wear, and in some locations, as on the heel, the corrugated plate of Figs. 1 to 4 will be found preferable to the crowned plate of Figs. 5 and 6, While the crowned plate may prove to be more desirable for the toes and other parts of the sole. A number of the crowned plates B may be grouped upon the toe of a shoe, as shown in Fig. 9, to serve as a dancing tap, the hollow dished body ll) of the plate giving it a resonance that enhances the sound producing quality of the plate. The self-clenching of the prongs is a feature that also contributes to the suitability of this plate as a dancing tap as otherwise the plate would be liable to loosen under the violent action imposed on it in dancing.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides a self-clenching shoe plate that may be driven with comparative ease into a sole or heel, very close to the edge thereof without danger of the prongs breaking out through the edge; and that liability of the plate being jerked or kicked loose is practically eliminated by reason of the fact that the underside of its periphery is embedded into the leather, and its outer surface thus made to merge into the surface of the sole or heel. It will be evident, also, that the plate will not mar polished floors, nor interfere with dancing.

While I have described a tool for manually applying the plates, it is obvious that such tool might constitute a part of a machine for driving or pressing the plates on.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A sheet metal shoe plate consisting of: a circular, generally fiat wearing portion having an integral downturned portion extending therearound and making an obtuse angle with the plane thereof, said downturned portion having its edge surface disposed at substantially right 20 BRENNAN B. WEST. 

